


Curiosity

by Dragonlingdar



Category: Octopath Traveler (Video Game)
Genre: Animal Transformation, F/M, Fluff, Magical Accidents
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-08
Updated: 2019-07-08
Packaged: 2020-06-24 16:35:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,954
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19727521
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dragonlingdar/pseuds/Dragonlingdar
Summary: H'aanit decided that the results of Cyrus' curiosity were more headache-inducing than her master's debts.





	Curiosity

**Author's Note:**

  * For [BroomballKraken](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BroomballKraken/gifts).



> This is what I hope you will find to be fuzzy H'aanit and Cyrus. I hope you enjoy it!
> 
> As an aside, I am not your assigned creator; nevertheless, I hope you are satisfied by my offering as well.
> 
> As I am a fossil: Nothing Octopath Traveler belongs to me.

_ Dearest H'aanit, _

_ I hope my missive finds you well! _

_ I have made a marvelous discovery that I would share with you, as I am sure that you would be the one who would most appreciate my revelation. It would give me great pleasure if you and Linde could visit Atlasdam, as I have missed your company. I hope to see you soon! _

_ Yours, _

_ Cyrus Albright  _

H'aanit looked at the letter, folded it, put it away, and stared down at Atlasdam. She had forgotten how  _ crowded _ Atlasdam and other large human settlements could be, and gently scratched Linde between her ears. 

_ Why hath I comen?  _ H'aanit wondered to herself before she nodded to Linde. "Let us finden our scholar."

Linde stuck a little closer to her than normal as they entered the city. It was bustling and noisy, and H'aanit received more than her fair share of curious looks; however, Linda's presence ensured that anyone who would have commented kept their peace.

Cyrus was not difficult man to find--H'aanit had asked where the library was--and found him shoulder-deep in parchment and hidden between piles of books. She peered over a slightly listing wall of literature to find him busily writing away, humming a sea shanty that Tressa had taught them during their travels. 

“Cyrus.”

He didn’t even flinch.

“Cryus.”

Again, no answer.

“Linde, bothern him for me,” H’aanit told the leopard, who butted her head against H’aanit’s hand. The large cat walked around the desk, then shoved her head into Cyrus’ lap and twisted so their eyes were level.

Cyrus startled with a yelp, but it turned into a laugh when Linde began to rub her cheek against Cyrus’ face. 

“If you are here, that means your mistress is as well,” Cyrus commented.

“So I am,” H’aanit replied, unable to keep wry affection out of her voice.

Linde pulled away and Cyrus looked up to H’aanit, a bright smile forming on his face. “Hello! I apologize that I didn’t hear you--I was busy researching. I assume you are here because of the letter I sent you?”

“Indeed,” H’aanit replied. 

Cyrus pushed away from the desk, stood, and stretched, cracking his shoulders as he rolled his wrists, likely to relax them. “Come, come. Some things are better demonstrated in private.”

H’aanit followed Cyrus out of the library, the smallest of smiles on her face. 

“Thou dost looken well,” H’aanit said as they walked. 

“Oh, thank you. You look quite lovely yourself,” Cyrus replied. 

“What is it that thou wishen to showen me?” H’aanit asked, unable to master her curiosity any longer.

“Well, do you remember when I, ah, made Linde a tad uncomfortable by wanting to know her physiology by examining her?”

“Yes,” H’aanit said, her voice dry as Linde growled. 

“I have found an even better way than merely observing a living organism!”

“Is that so?”

“Indeed! I may have found a way to  _ become _ an animal.”

H’aanit gave him a wary look. “That does not sounden like the best idea.”

“Oh, come now! Where’s your sense of curiosity?” Cyrus told her with a grin as he took out a key from his pant’s pocket. “Welcome to my home.”

He opened the door and H’aanit sighed.

“Where dost thou sleepen?” she asked as she and Linde moved to the center of the room. She could barely see the walls from the piles of books and parchment. There was the suggestion of a desk and chair, and there was a distinct ring of empty space around the fireplace, where there was also a table, cutlery, and what seemed like cooking implements. There was a suggestion of a bed in one corner, although the only reason she guessed its existence was due to sheets that peeked out from beneath the books.

“Oh, I simply move things around,” Cyrus said. 

“Is this truly all the space thou canst afforden?”

“A teacher’s salary is not all that large,” Cyrus said as he pushed aside some of the books on the desk. “Ah, here we are!”

He brought a rather hefty tome to his kitchen table, opened it to a bookmarked page, and said, “For the most part this is an anatomy textbook, more suited to animal husbandry or veterinary medicine. However, I did find a most interesting passage here. It hypothesizes that, with the right application of magic and knowledge, it could be possible to turn into an animal oneself!”

“I still doth not thinken that ‘twould be a good idea to attempten this magic,” H’aanit said as she read the passage. The vocabulary and sentence structure were needlessly elaborate, in her opinion, so she had to wade through it multiple times to even glean part of a meaning.

“Nonsense! Nothing ventured, nothing gained, I say,” Cyrus said as he carefully drew out what H’aanit assumed was a ritual circle. “I am going to attempt a form similar to Linde’s, but the text seems to indicate that the animal chosen will more closely match the caster than what they may have in mind while casting. Now, please stand back. I don’t want to accidentally catch you, too, in the magic.”

“Why didst thou  wanten _my_ presence?”

“Because if anything goes awry, you at least know the language of beasts.”

“Thou doest not knowen how to returnen to thine own form after transformen into a beast?” H’aanit asked, incredulous. Cyrus’ plan was sounding worse by the second.

“I believe it specifies such in the tome,” Cyrus said as he finished the circle and stepped carefully inside. “I’m just not sure I’ll be able to perform the necessary ritual!”

“What wouldst thou have me doen?”

“You’re a smart woman,” Cyrus said cheerfully as he activated the magic. “I’m sure you’ll figure something out if this goes awry.”

“Cyrus--”

Unfortunately, it seemed the Cyrus’ skill at magic was such that the transformation  _ did _ take hold, and both he and the circle began to glow a blue-white light. The intensity of the light increased until it became painful for H’aanit to try to watch what was happening to the scholar, but the light dimmed quickly after a particularly bright flash. Once H’aanit’s eyes had cleared, she sighed and barely kept herself from rubbing her temples, although she could already feel a headache threatening.

A large, black wolf sat before her, his tail dusting the floor. His markings were peculiar, white going from paw to shoulder on his forelegs while his hind legs were brown from paw to haunch. Grey, almost diamond-like shapes ringed his neck and his head was brown that faded into black on his shoulders. He looked a combination of puzzled and delighted. 

_ This is worse than when Master returnen home with debts, _ she thought. 

**“** Well, it seemen to have worked,” H’aanit commented.

Cyrus attempted to stand from sitting, but walking on all fours was unconventional and unusual for him, so he ended up falling to the floor with a soft  _ whomp. _

Linde walked over and cautiously nudged Cyrus’ face. His tail thumped on the floor, and even  _ Linde _ managed to look incredulous.

H’aanit crouched and placed the book in front of Cyrus. “Canst thou figuren out how to undoen your predicament?”

Cyrus could at least sit up, and tilted his head as he examined the tome. However, his head slowly sunk a little bit closer to his chest with each passing moment until he looked  _ extremely _ sheepish.

“Thou canst not performen the required ceremony.”

Cyrus shook his head.

H’aanit sat down, turned the tome to her, and examined it closely. She could recognize the magic sigils, but her skill lay in the hunt, not in the arcane.

_ Who woulde knowen how to undoen this? _ H’aanit thought.  _ Cyrus is the master of the arcane… _

H’aanit blinked.  _ Hopefully she will not minden a visit, _ H’aanit thought and found a bag to put the tome in. “We are to visiten Ophilia.”

Cyrus’ tail thumped the floor again and he gave H’aanit a lupine smile similar to Hagen’s. 

“Thou shoulde practicen how to walken,” H’aanit said. 

Cyrus looked down to his back legs and nodded, the motion as determined as one H’aanit had ever seen the scholar do while human. 

H’aanit cleared the desk chair and sat down, Linde joining her. Cyrus probably needed as much room as possible to become used to his new body. 

There was something... _ endearing _ about the determination with which Cyrus approached the reality of his new body. He made quiet huffs, grumbles, and barks as he figured out how to coordinate himself and adapt to the new eye-level. Cyrus was not a short man, nor was he a small wolf, but the height distance was still substantial. 

It took about three hours, and Linde had fallen asleep at H’aanit’s feet as she browsed the books that cluttered Cyrus’ desk. She could find no pattern or reason to them, although they did provide  _ some _ insight into the man’s interests. It was only when she caught Cyrus deliberately coming towards her and placing his head in her lap that she knew he had at least enough skill to make it across even ground. 

“You shalle not maken this journey an easy one,” H’aanit said and stood, picking up her gear and readjusting it on her body. “The wilds are very different from the city.”

Cyrus simply wagged his tail enthusiastically. 

“Gods,” H’aanit murmured and found Cyrus' key. She let herself, Linde, and Cyrus out, then locked his front door and slipped the key into a belt pouch. “Comen. Flamesgrace is not far, but it shalle be slower progress than usual.”

Cyrus didn’t look abashed at all.

Stairs proved to be a bit of a challenge for Cyrus, but his focus was truly unparalleled as they navigated their way out of Atlasdam and into the surrounding terrain. H’aanit relaxed slightly once they were out of the city before she realized she had lost Cyrus somewhere along the way.

“Cyrus!” she called out, worried. 

There was a bark from a ways behind them, and Cyrus reappeared, his front covered in mud and looking far too pleased with himself. 

“Please stayen with me,” H’aanit scolded. “It woulde be unfortunate shoulde thou becomen losten.” 

Cyrus betrayed no shame.

As they walked, H’aanit found herself wishing for a leash or some means of keeping Cyrus by her side, as he often fell behind or veered off to one side to investigate something that caught his attention, either by sight or by scent. 

“Cyrus!” she snapped, irritation at their glacier-slow progress finally outweighing her amusement at his curiosity. “Stayen with me or I shalle leaven thee behind to liven the rest of thy days as a wolf.”

Cyrus simply bumped into her side and licked her hand, his eyes laughing as his tail wagged vigorously. 

_ He knowen that it is an empty threat, _ she thought.  _ Still, if this is how fast we shalle proceeden, it will taken much longer than two days to arriven at Flamesgrace. Then again, I do not thinken that he woulde minden terribly. _

When they settled for the night, Cyrus offered H’aanit his body as a pillow, his head resting near her shoulder. He was quite warm, curled up behind her. She idly scratched his head as Linde lay against her back. 

_ Odd, how he still smellen like his human self as a wolf, _ she thought as she drifted to sleep.

-

When they finally reached the Frostlands proper, Cyrus had  _ far _ too much fun in the snow. The only reason H'aanit never lost sight of him was because he had black fur in a white clime. 

_ By the gods, he testen my patience, _ H’aanit thought, although a smile had never really left her face. When Linde joined in the fun, H’aanit gave up and resigned herself to moving at Cyrus’ pace. 

As a human, Cyrus’ curiosity had been boundless, although he had been constrained by the presence of seven others and the fact that some people resisted him prying. As a wolf, and with only herself as his company, he was free to spend as much time exploring and investigating as he wanted. It was actually  _ adorable _ , once she moved past her irritation with the slow pace. It also seemed that some form of mothering instincts had been inspired in Linde, as she always dragged Cyrus out of the worst of his mischief. 

The leisurely pace helped H’aanit appreciate the journey a little more. She had never truly stopped to admire the beauty of the Frostlands--there had always been a purpose to her journey, so she had only paid as much attention as was required to make sure they wouldn’t be ambushed. 

The cold helped her appreciate the warmth of Cyrus and Linde’s bodies, and the lightly falling snow and pristine white drifts were a starker beauty than the woods of her home. The snow-banks were somehow gentler than the sands of the Sunlands, even though both could be equally barren. Her two companions frolicking about kept the monsters away, so their travel was easy, when they  _ did _ manage to make forward progress.

Cyrus still insisted on any game being cooked and slightly seasoned before he ate it and he never joined Linde in the hunt, which was somewhat of a relief. 

_ He retainen his humanity regardless of his form, _ H’aanit mused.  _ Good. That shoulder make returning him to his true form easier. _

It took them nearly five days to make what should have been a two day trip, but eventually the spires of the Cathedral at Flamesgrace came into view. 

Cyrus looked  _ disappointed. _

“Comen now, Cyrus, thou art man, not beast, and shoulde becomen human again,” H’aanit chided as they made their way into the city proper. It was a little difficult to find Ophilia, given that she was quite busy in the Church, but eventually H’aanit’s tracking skills located the young woman.

“Oh, H’aanit! A pleasure to see you,” she said with a smile before her attention turned to Cyrus. “And who is this handsome fellow?”

“Cyrus.”

“An odd name to choose,” Ophilia said as she petted Cyrus.

“Ophilia, the wolf  _ is _ Cyrus. He transformen himself into a beast, but cannot transformen himself back to man. As thou knowen the most of magic besides him, I thoughten that you may be able to helpen him.”

“Oh, dear,” Ophilia said, frowning as she looked at Cyrus, withdrawing her hand slightly self-consciously.

Cyrus insistently pushed his head back under her hand, his tail wagging enthusiastically.

“He certainly seems like he has had fun,” Ophilia observed and scratched Cyrus' head again.

“So he has,” H’aanit replied dryly as she retrieved the book Cyrus had used. “The manner in which he transformen himself is within, as is the manner with which to returnen him to man. Coulde you assisten?”

“I can certainly try,” Ophilia responded and took the book from H’aanit. “Should I look at the bookmarked page?”

“Yes.”

Ophilia opened the book, although H’aanit had to support it to make sure it didn’t fall. Ophilia scanned the pages, quietly muttering the words, although incredulity and amazement slowly formed on her face.

“Professor Albright truly is a brilliant man, although terrible at reading the fine print,” Ophilia said. 

“Oh?” H’aanit replied, and a whine from Cyrus meant more or less the same thing.

“It is awfully cliche, and I fear that he may never return to human,” Ophilia said. “Apparently a kiss from someone whom he loves is what it will take to get him back to normal.”

“Mayhaps he shoulde try to kissen a book?” H’aanit offered, which made Ophilia laugh. 

Linde licked Cyrus in an attempt to help, but it just made Cyrus shake himself free of cat spit. Cyrus carefully caught H’aanit’s sleeve in his teeth and tugged on the cloth, his tail wagging slightly.

“Thou woulde have me tryen?”

His tail wagged a little harder.

“It’s worth a try,” Ophilia commented.

“I suppose,” H’aanit agreed. She leaned down and gently pressed a kiss to the top of Cyrus’ head--only to have the man reappear in a flash of light and fall prone in front of her. His clothing--which had thankfully transformed along with him--was a little worse for the wear, but he was laughing joyfully.

“Oh, that was great fun!” he said and pushed himself up sitting. He gave H’aanit a wide smile.

“Thou doest loven me?” H’aanit asked.

“Of course!” Cyrus replied. “Why else would I invite  _ you _ over everyone else to help me with an important experiment?”

H’aanit wasn’t sure to feel flattered or not, although the persistent affection she had felt for Cyrus during their journey made a bit more sense. 

“Perhaps I caren for thee as well.”

“Wonderful! Thank you so much for your help--all of it!”

H’aanit saw Ophilia leave out of the corner of her eye as H’aanit extended a hand to Cyrus. “You may needen some helpen standing.”

“You’re probably right.”

She pulled Cyrus easily to his feet, although he teetered and fell against her. She stood fast against his weight before he leaned back, although he kept his hands on her shoulders. His gaze was warm as he said, “Thank you again, really. I, unfortunately, do not have any money on me, but perhaps we could hunt together and bring in something for the innkeeper to make, which might endear us enough to them that we may have a room?”

“Such may be so,” H’aanit agreed, unable to stop a small smile. 

“Then, if you could help me get to the wall, I shall use it as support, and we will be off!”

The smile grew slightly as she helped Cyrus stagger over to the Cathedral wall.

_ Perhaps there be merit afterall in humans. _


End file.
